Thanks to this forum I realise I am not mad!

Bones, joints and muscles
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Thanks to this forum I realise I am not mad! I have been suffering from extensive shoulder, arm and hand pain for about 12 years following a whiplash injury. I have been to successive doctors who have, amongst other things, sent me for hand xrays, given me copious amounts of pain killers and told me to live with it - it's my age (I am now 51). One doctor asked me if I was still able to do the cooking and washing up for my husband - if so then that was okay. (No matter that I have a career that pays all the bills and would prefer to spend my time doing watersports than washing up). Periodically I have also have a fair amount of chiropractic treatment and physiotherapy.

12 months ago this week I turned over in bed, felt a snapping sensation in my neck and became extemely dizzy and nearly passed out. The dizziness and headache lasted 6 months and still pay me regular unwelcome visits! The pains in my arms etc are also still there.

Despite my protestations that it was my neck my GP diagnosed labyrinthitis and gave me medication (that didn't work at all). He then sent me to an ENT specialist who eventually said the problem was my neck.

After referral to a further specialist and an MRI scan I have been diagnosed with cervical spondylosis. I am still off work and unlikely to return. About to (re)start physio tomorrow and told to take pain killers. Specialist may consider surgery in a few months time but he says my neck is such a mess he wouldn't really know where to start - well that boosts the confidence. My GP still insists that cervical spondylosis does not cause dizziness. Thanks to this forum I realise I am definitely not alone in my dizzy world!

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I too have found this website amazingly helpful and comforting knowing that I too am not mad. I also feel dizzy, usually when my neck and back feels like it is in knots and spasming beyond belief. It feels like someone has just sewn me up inbetween my shoulder blade and is pulling the strings tighter and tigher. I believe the dizziness is caused by 1. being in pain and 2. the spasms, which lets face it, must have an effect on your head if the neck muscles are tightening up all the time. GP's don't know anything about it!

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Hello guys! I found you ... was trawling the internet looking for something, anything - some reassurance when somehow I stumbled here. Am almost in tears realising that I'm not the only one. Doesn't it just make you feel so alone?

Briefly I have a prolapsed disc at c6/c7 and c4/5 isn't great either. I was due to have surgery 3 years ago but for various reasons (they got me as far as the anaesthetic room - private hosp too) and found the kit was incomplete and so couldn't proceed. Since the surgeon had un-nerved me prior by saying he would remove the 'arm pain' I was on alert as I do not, never have, had arm pain. My o/h insisted I saw another surgeon - neuro this time (other was ortho) who said it was my brain (LOL) - MRI revealed migraine activity but nothing else and he didn't recommend surgery. a third ortho also said surgery not recommended as not classical symptoms - he thought thoracic outlet syndrome. Since then have had loads of facet joint, nerve blocks etc, all really to no avail. Symptoms are almost continuous headache often left-sides, sometimes severe, shoulder pain, dizziness and what I call 'muzziness'. (I also have Scheurmannns and each exacerbates the other). Does anybody know what I'm talking about - a muzzy feeling in the head like I can't think straight.

Recent huge exacerbation caused, I know, by lots of stress (won't bore with details) this has been two months since. Saw an acupuncturist 2 wks ago who said Imust do neck exercises - result - two days later excruciating muscle spasms, right sided migrained etc etc culminating in last Sat being unable to move head up down or to left . This eased off. However saw my Pain Man (tho health ins com don't want to know now so is v costly) and having more botox (helped once) which I will pay for and then some other stuff on NHS in a few months. Saw chiro on Thur who put my neck 'back into place' but now it's all seized up again. Can't drive, and feel miserable. V sharp pain which is making doing anything really difficult.

I'm on Dothiepin, not good with some painkillers - tramadol was a nightmare - so varying between co-codamol (useless really) and Nurofen Plus (mild help but can't take many cos of stomach) plus Diazepam. My GP doesn't understand.

My life isn't especially stressful at the mo - I work p/t at a job I mostly enjoy tho is emotionally v challenging, I do have sole responsbility for elderly parents (Dad disabled) and am a single parent but that is NORMAL life - the stress at the mo is CAUSED by the headaches, dizziness and in particular the sharp neck pain today again.

Please don't laugh, but am scared that somehow the treatment has caused something to stick into nerve or something. Am being stupid - I guess it's just a severe crick but it's not like the symptoms I've had the last 18 odd years, especially bad for the last 8 or 9 and restrictive the last 3 or 4. I think the onsest of this was caused by a large tile falling onto my head about 20 odd years ago.

Not sure what I'm asking here - sorry - just to vent a bit knowing that there are people who understand . Espy the dizziness which is horrible.

Thank you for 'listening'

Tabitha

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Oh my god, I had never heard about this condition before today (see my post re possible CS) but earlier this year I had several weeks where my GP diagnosed me with labyrinthitis however it all seem to come from my neck pain. Also I have read on this website that people feel muscle tightening - i do too however its in my feet, I have suffered with since I started getting these bad headaches and neck pain - Id get cramp in both my feet at the same time and it was/is the most painful thing I have ever experienced. Touch wood I have not had it in a while - could this all be related...the loss of balance, the dizziness, being wobbly on my feet, not being able to focus on objects, muscle cramps...could all these be related???! I thought i was going mad also before the doctor mentioned this..i thought it was all in my head. Maybe its not! :shock:

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The experiences related on this page are familiar to me, particularly references to muzziness, dizzyness etc. I've had c/spond for 30 years and the usual symptom process seems to follow this pattern

1) Aggravation of neck by some movement, effort or even sleeping in draught. The cause is usually not noticed!

2) Then 2/3 days(or more) of muggy/muzzy/dizzy achey head/shoulders and general fatigue.

3)Then a clearing of the head and a more normal type pain in neck or shoulder or arm.

4) This usually abates after a couple of days.

I have found that physio, traction, concentrated exercises etc. don't help and can increase the problem. Muscle spasms must be allowed to rest off before being exercised. Doctors, physios etc don't seem to understand the disorientation experienced by c/spond sufferers and their only outlet is to advise treatments that are more appropriate to normal spinal injuries, which do not affect the head. Think of it this way...if you have never had a hangover, how could you possibly imagine what it's like ! Generally speaking, the muggy headache bit should be rested off before even trying to deal with what should evolve into a more clarified neck/shoulder pain and in turn

this phase should be dealt with carefully until it abates.

Hope this is helpful.

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i recently started with vertigo, never even thought it could be my cs which i have suffered with for the past 16yrs. i honestly didnt realise that there would be new symptoms cropping up at this late stage. i thought it was my eyes or even ears. not been to the docs because he is not interested in this because he doesn't understand it. but one good thing is that finally cutting my meds due to being addicted, is a dramatic weight loss. doesnt help though.